Iowa Supreme Court to argue Thursday on the Web; First Iowa video from federal court coming next week

Iowa Supreme Court justices are returning to your computer screen as the latest step in an ongoing campaign to be more publicly accessible.

Supreme Court oral arguments, the court sessions used to give lawyers a final chance at pressing their cases before the justices, will be live-streamed over the Internet beginning Thursday.

A statement released by court officials this morning says roughly 100 people will be able to view the sessions on-line at any one time. Sessions also will be recorded and archived for later viewing.

“Oral arguments are always open to the public,” Chief Justice Mark Cady said in the news release. “However, most people cannot take time out of their busy schedules to come to the courthouse to watch a proceeding. Now people can watch the oral arguments anytime, anywhere, from the convenience of their computer, laptop or smartphone.”

“Watching oral arguments is one of the best ways for Iowans to learn about the work of the court and the legal issues of the day,” Cady said. “I encourage people to take advantage of this convenient service.”

The two oral argument sessions scheduled for 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday include three criminal appeals and a lawsuit involving the Des Moines Register’s effort to obtain an audit of a publicly owned hospital’s pharmacy.

Archived recordings of oral arguments previously were available from January 2006 through February 2009, when the recording was stopped in response to state budget cuts. This is the first time oral arguments have been streamed live.

The new programming will come roughly four days before federal court officials in Iowa are scheduled to unveil their own first effort at computerized video.

Officials at the U.S. District Court’s Southern District of Iowa, which is part of a pilot project that includes 14 court districts around the country, plan to record their first video of a courtroom procedure on Monday.

The case, Morton v. Fort Madison Community Hospital, involves an Illinois couple seeking at least $450,000 in damages following a visit to the hospital on Dec. 26, 2007. Court papers say Carole Morton, of Hancock Co., Ill., slipped and fell because of an “improperly installed electrical outlet and suffered severe personal injuries, including fracturing of Plaintiff’s right femur.” Morton suffered further injuries, according to the lawsuit, “as the result of negligent touching and mishandling of her person” after the fall.

Federal court officials say the Davenport trial will be recorded beginning Monday and will be available for viewing at some point later – it’s not yet certain how quickly.